CrimeEye Footage Aids Chattanooga PD in Arrest of Murder Suspect

Video footage recorded via the CrimeEye-RD-2 rapid deployment video system was used to identify and arrest a suspect in the July 26 homicide of Desmond Clay.

Aug 25, 2017

The Chattanooga Police Department’s investment in the CrimeEye® video surveillance solution from Total Recall Corporation is already paying off. Video footage recorded via the CrimeEye-RD-2rapid deployment video system was used to identify and arrest a suspect in the July 26 homicide of Desmond Clay.

Clay was shot multiple times while driving and was found dead after his vehicle crashed into a local business. To investigate the crime, the Chattanooga Police Department retrieved video footage of the victim’s car recorded by an outdoor CrimeEye-RD-2rapid deployment portable video unit. On the video footage, Chattanooga Police Department identified a white Hyundai Sonata following the victim’s car just prior to the shooting. Chattanooga Police Department located the Hyundai Sonata and found a handgun in the center console. The suspect admitted that the gun found in his vehicle was the murder weapon. The Chattanooga Police Department charged the suspect with criminal homicide, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

"The CrimeEye public safety cameras are a force multiplier," said Chief David Roddy. "This technology serves as extra eyes keeping 24-hour watch over the most violent areas of the city. The video captured by the camera was instrumental in clearing this homicide case in a very timely manner."

“Total Recall Corporation is proud that our CrimeEye citywide safety video surveillance solution was able to assist the Chattanooga Police Department in apprehending a suspect in this murder,” said Total Recall President of Sales Jordan Heilweil. “This is precisely what our CrimeEye units were designed for: to reliably record high-quality video and provide that information to authorities quickly and efficiently.”

It was just in March of this year that the City of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Police Department deployed 15 outdoor CrimeEye-RD-2rapid deployment portable video systems throughout the city to increase safety and aid in law enforcement. The CrimeEye-RD-2 uses Axis Communications dome network cameras—managed by Genetec Omnicast™, an IP video management system—to stream HD-quality video within just minutes of installation. The video data is monitored live at Chattanooga Police Department’s Real-Time Intelligence Center, where stored video can be quickly reviewed, as was the case in identifying this murder suspect.

The CrimeEye-RD-2 is lightweight and self-contained, and it provides easy portability, simplified installation, superior imaging, and intelligent electronics. The unit requires virtually no tools to set up and can be deployed by one person on almost any type of pole with the included mounting hardware.

Chattanooga, which is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee and has more than 175,000 residents, is one of several municipalities throughout the United States to choose Total Recall Corporation’s CrimeEye solutions. The Department of Homeland Security, the Statue of Liberty, and some of the biggest police departments in the United States also use CrimeEye for video surveillance.

“Not only did the CrimeEye unit aid in solving this crime, it will hopefully provide the evidence needed to keep a dangerous criminal off the street and deter future crimes as well,” said Heilweil.